I get this question a lot – “what are your favorite XYZ thing in Walt Disney World”? I have things that are near and dear to my heart – some of which tug at the heartstrings, some which are just the best of the best in experiences, other things that we save for special occasions.

Resorts

This is an easy one for me and we have two. #1 – Bay Lake Tower at Contemporary resort. Walking access to and from Magic Kingdom, many rooms with a view of the fireworks from your living room or balcony and the monorail steps away to get to other parks. Easy to get to parking lot for those that access to a car. Great set of resort rooms from the studio when it’s just the 3 of us traveling up to 1 and 2 bedroom villas when we are traveling with family. The 1 and 2 bedroom villas have a ton of bathrooms as well (2 full baths in a 1 bedroom and 3 full baths in a 2 bedroom). I am not as big of a fan of the main Contemporary building – the feeling of the two resorts (even though they have the same amenities) are completely different. Bay Lake is quiet which I love and need after a busy day in the park. I also like that the hallways aren’t horribly long like they are at some other resorts.

Resort #2 – Standard Club Level room at Wilderness Lodge. It’s not just Wilderness Lodge – it’s this specific booking category. Because it’s a small resort and the addition of Copper Creek Villas there are very few club level rooms. It makes the experience more intimate. I love the club level floor. We request a room facing toward Magic Kingdom and you’ve got a nice view of the fireworks in the evening. The club level offerings are robust here and it just feels like home. The sights, the smells, the everything! It’s my favorite overall place.

Dining

This list can get a bit long, so I’ll try to keep it short. This list also changes and adapts based on the time of year and why we’re traveling (and who is with us). And you will find very little character dining here – we prefer to see characters in the park with the photo backdrop and dining for us is all about the FOOD

Garden Grill (Epcot) – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner are all good!

Via Napoli (Epcot)

Teppan Edo (Epcot)

Boma (Animal Kingdom Lodge) – Breakfast & dinner are both good meals

Trattoria al Forno (Boardwalk) – Breakfast (the best character dining meal – I’d eat here even if there were no characters)

Boathouse (Disney Springs)

Art Smith’s Homecomin’ (Disney Springs)

Ohana (Polynesian) – Dinner (this is becoming a little less of a favorite in recent years but still a good meal)

Do we eat other places? ALL THE TIME! But these are my core go to locations. I’m just about 20 dining locations short of dining at every location in WDW!

Magical Extras/Special Experiences

This is the easiest answer – Magic Kingdom fireworks dessert party – Garden plaza view. For $59 for adults and less for kids, you’ve got a quick little dessert buffet followed by a protected place to watch the fireworks in Magic Kingdom. Happily Ever After with the projection technology, needs to be seen inside the park and with kids, it’s much easier to be seen in this protected space and the soft hub grass to sit in while you wait. We’ve had a photopass photographer come in and take photos while we wait too! It’s also a nice protected space after the fireworks end as most of the guests in the park head toward the exit and go nowhere fast. We just sit and relax and let the crowds clear first.

Special events parties – Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party. This is my favorite special event. It’s an expensive add but we LOVE it so much. Dressing up as a family in Magic Kingdom, trick or treating, the best parade in all of WDW (RIP Spectromagic & Main Street Electrical Parade which may have ranked higher if still running), and a great fireworks show! And in our house…we love villains. This event runs on select nights in September and October.

I’d love to talk to you about my happy place so you can think about starting YOUR collection of memories! Whether it’s a first time, the first time as a family, a celebration, or it’s something you’ve been putting off because it’s overwhelming, we can do this! My planning services are 100% free for guests who book a package with Magical Vacations! Talk to me about a free, no obligation quote today!